Hello, readers!

Welcome back to Meet the Makers, a series that takes a playful, engaging approach to showcasing the personalities and expertise of sign pros while staying rooted in the signage industry.

This week, we are featuring Spencer Grove, general manager of signage at the Burke Group of Companies. With a foundation in custom steel and aluminum fabrication and a Red Seal Journeyman welder designation, Grove combines technical expertise with artistic vision in his leadership role.

Like many in the industry, Grove’s journey in signage began on the shop floor, where he led fabrication and quickly immersed himself in every aspect of the business—from installations and manufacturing to project planning and sales. This hands-on experience has shaped his collaborative, well-rounded leadership style. Proud to be part of an industry where craftsmanship, creativity, and strategy converge, he continues to guide his team in bringing bold visual identities to life.

Here are his responses to our five offbeat questions.

What’s your sign superpower?

Determination and resourcefulness. Coming from manufacturing outside of signage has given me a unique insight, at times, into solutions that aren’t common practice in the sign industry. This is especially true when it comes to creative ways to build signage that looks high-end at a mid-level price point.

What’s the most challenging project you’ve worked on?

Our team successfully manufactured and installed large-scale illuminated signage on three elevations of Edmonton’s ATCO Tower. The project featured 3.04 m (10-ft)-tall LED-powered flex face channel letters, designed for high visibility and durability in Alberta’s climate.

Installation was completed during the winter months, requiring advanced planning and execution under challenging conditions. Our crew performed cold-weather swing stage operations, adhering to strict safety protocols and ensuring minimal disruption to building operations.

We worked in close collaboration with the building engineer throughout the project to maintain structural integrity and meet all installation standards. This included resealing the building envelope post-installation to preserve energy efficiency and weatherproofing.

The result was a high-impact, professionally executed signage solution that met esthetic and technical expectations, reinforcing ATCO’s brand presence in downtown Edmonton.

What’s a favourite sign or sign system you’ve created?

My favourite sign? Ale architect. We did some work for a local brewery in Edmonton, over which we were given complete creative control. We built a large double-sided projecting push-through acrylic sign, as well as a push-through acrylic entrance archway that had a red-green-blue (RGB) colour-changing halo effect behind it. Projects like this one only exemplify how amazing our design team is and how they work hand in hand with production to ensure these dreams become a reality.

If signage could talk, what’s the funniest thing a sign has ever ‘said’ to you?

“Please save me!”  Every spring, around our city, there is always some sign in need of repairs after the thaw. It’s also a great way to get into your community and meet potential new clients!

What’s the one piece of signage advice you wish everyone knew?

Site limitations fuel creativity and ingenuity. There is always a way to get an eye-grabbing desired look, even if there are limitations for standard signage. Oftentimes, these are the signs you remember when you look back on past work you have done.